Kallocain by Karin Boye

Author:Karin Boye [Boye, Karin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

were so eerily close and at the same time far away, entirely beyond reach, contained in their own chill. Mostly in order to calm myself, I retorted, quietly, "I don't suppose that you too feel all fellow-soldiers walk about with a bad conscience?"

"Bad conscience?" he repeated, and neighed again. "Who cares if they have bad or good consciences. They may be as cool as cucumbers—no one will find it easy to get away!"

"Get away from being reported, you mean?"

"Report and conviction is what I mean. You understand —do sit down, Fellow-Soldier"—he approached me again and stooped over me, and I was only too happy to sink down in the chair, the way my knees kept shaking—"you understand, if one has the right advisors and the right judge. As it is we get advisors from different places, specialists in various fields, but one mustn't mete out stupid judgments, as you understand: an incorrigible person wouldn't be worth sending to be educated, and one on the simple side—with obsolete ways of thinking— the State must not be robbed of his work-contribution, in these days of falling birth-rate. But as I say—the field is open for the one who knows what he wants. Everything can be arranged, with the right judge."

I must admit I did not quite understand what he meant. But I hardly liked to tell him so. Instead, I nodded gravely and followed with fear in my eyes his pacing across the floor.

I felt a little embarrassed because it had grown so silent in the room; I imagined that the chief of police expected me to say something. His words about different punishments made me remember something I actually had intended to tell him.

"My Chief," I said, "there's something that surprises me

138

a little. The other day we had under injection a man, one of those from the gang, that dangerous sect of lunatics. He spread not only geographical rumors of utmost danger but also an insinuating legend that the creatures across the border were of the same race as some of our border-people. He also mouthed asocial songs. He was condemned to labor. Now I wonder: granted that it was right in this special instance—the case is closed and I do not criticize the verdict—but is this advisable, in principle? Obviously a prisoner, during his term, comes in contact with a great many other people, both guards as well as other prisoners. Of the prisoners some are perhaps in for only a short term, others longer; anyway, many are eventually liberated. Shouldn't one consider the poisoning they are exposed to from a person of that sort? Probably he will not have a chance to say much, that's true enough. But I have made a discovery; I ask you, my Chief, not to laugh at me, but I have noticed that from certain persons there emanates such a strong radiation from their life philosophy that they are a threat even when they say nothing. A single look, a motion from such an individual is in itself poison and contamination.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.